Nokia Flexible User Interface Prototype

Nokia's "Kinetic Device" ,with a flexible display, was shown off at the Nokia World Show recently by the Finnish mobile phone maker. Gripped with two hands, the device can scroll through music collections or photo albums when twisted. Bowing it inward or outward zoomed photos in and out or pauses and plays music, while tapping the corners panned through photos.

What exactly makes this device bendable? According to CNET, an experimental apparatus was shown that contains a bundle of carbon nanotubes in a flexible elastomer medium. The electrical resistance of the nanotubes changes as they're stretched, and measurements of the change let a computer control how a map zoomed in and out. The same approach could be used to control the flexible interface.

While the device is innovative, it's most definitely not a real product anyone could buy today. Yet, it's a great indicator of what's to come our way in the near future.